Dealing with presenters
Some presenters are notoriously difficult and unpleasant. However, the vast majority are perfectly reasonable and easy to get on with.
Why presenters can be difficult
Presenting can be a surprisingly loneiy job. It sounds strange, but while the control rooms are often packed with people the presenter may be on the studio floor with just a floor manager.
When the presenter is on air the audience tends to forget there is a team behind them. If the programme falls to pieces, the presenter feels like they are left with egg on their face. Everyone else may fee! dreadful, but the only person the audience knows is the presenter.
Meeting for the first time
If you have not worked with a presenter before, either get introduced or do it yourself. They will probably assume you have years of experience and know exactly what you are doing. I see little reason for correcting the misconception.
In the studio
There are two things above all else that presenters need to know. What story (or page) they are reading next, and to which camera.
When you give them this information, watch their reactions in your monitors. The vast majority of the time it is obvious whether or not they heard and took in what you said. If you are not convinced, repeat it.
Looking good every day
Most of us have the occasional late night. If we go into work looking less than our best, we don’t get a significant percentage of the country’s population saying how rough we look. Some presenters are particularly fussy over the choice of make-up artist and lighting director since, between them, they can take years off someone’s appearance.
The biggest individual mistake we make in television is to try to keep people looking young. This starts off being tiresome, getting flattering lighting. It becomes harder (more expert make-up). After a decade or two it becomes virtually impossible.
There is nothing wrong with people growing older and there is nothing sadder than seeing someone trying to hang on to their youth. To blame the technical staff for someone looking their age is ridiculous.
If your presenters are having difficulty reading the prompter there are a number of options up your sleeve to help.
Can the display be made brighter? (The adjustment is usually on the prompting unit on the front of the camera.)
Would increasing the font size help?
Would reversing the image (black lettering on a white background) be clearer?
Failing these you may have to move the camera closer.